On which date did Japan's formal World War II surrender take place aboard USS Missouri?

Japan's formal World War II surrender took place on 2 September 1945 aboard USS Missouri. The ceremony occurred in Tokyo Bay, where Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender before Allied representatives.

The date is distinct from 15 August 1945, when Emperor Hirohito's radio announcement told the Japanese public that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration. Because of time-zone differences, the announcement was heard on 14 August in parts of the Americas. Those dates are also associated with V-J Day, but the legal surrender ceremony occurred later.

The signing began shortly after 9 a.m. Japan Standard Time and took effect at 9:25 a.m. General Douglas MacArthur signed for the Allied powers, followed by representatives of the United States and other Allied countries. Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu signed for Japan.

The ceremony ended organized Japanese resistance on a global scale and marked the end of World War II. Japan's surrender terms had been based on the Potsdam Declaration, issued by the United States, Britain, and China in July 1945.